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Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

I know we're all hoping to pick lower in this year's draft after making the playoffs, but I still think college players are worth talking about. I know that I enjoyed last year's discussion quite a bit, so I thought I'd start this year's thread off.

I'll start it off with a couple of thoughts on Blake Griffin:

1. I think any GM that passes on him in the draft is going to regret it like the Bobcats regret passing on Dwight Howard. I think Griffin is a better NBA prospect than any PF we've seen in college in recent years. Yes, I am saying I think he'll be a better pro than Horford or Beasley, hands down.

2. Preface: I hate the idea of tanking for high draft picks. I really like the makeup of this roster, while acknowledging that it's not a championship level team. I really like the prospect of seeing Rush and Granger and Hibbert all grow together and become a very solid core.

However, I'd give any single player on this team plus this year's pick and an unprotected 1st 2 years from now to get Griffin.

Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

I was going to start this but I wanted to get my prospect list with TV games for each done up first. Last year I started a thread just for that but it got buried by the general prospect discussion thread eventually.

The main reason I was thinking about kicking this off before then was because today Indy fans had a good reason and chance to see Blake Griffin in action vs Purdue. 21 boards.

What I did last year in watching guys was to totally ignore the game itself and focused on watching the STYLE and METHODS a player employed with the thought of how that would work in the NBA. So a guy like Psycho T did zip to impress me as a prospect even though he's a great college player.

Anyway, with that in mind I thought Griffin was a top 6 guy last year and he basically shot to #1 the instant he said he was staying in school. I don't know that I'd trade Danny, and I'm not sure I'd trade Rush, but anyone else and those picks (assume 17th and 15-20th) for Griffin would be a nice deal.

Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

unfortunately, this year's draft is very weak compared to last year. the guy i like most is demar derozan. i'd take derozan over griffen even. but the following list is a list of the only players i would consider drafting...

Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

unfortunately, this year's draft is very weak compared to last year. the guy i like most is demar derozan. i'd take derozan over griffen even. but the following list is a list of the only players i would consider drafting...

Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

1. I think any GM that passes on him in the draft is going to regret it like the Bobcats regret passing on Dwight Howard. I think Griffin is a better NBA prospect than any PF we've seen in college in recent years. Yes, I am saying I think he'll be a better pro than Horford or Beasley, hands down.

Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

I have a feeling the Pacers are going to have a great 2nd half of the season and just miss the playoffs or get defeated in the first round. That means we are going to miss out on some lottery talent (really want griffin obviously). I think a good option for us would be Hansbrough. He is a great inside scorer and free throw shooter, and his low amount of blocks would be ok because of Hibbert and Granger.

Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

I wouldn't mind drafting Derozan or Evans, but how do you feel about Stephen Curry or Brandon Jennings?

don't know much about brandon with the exception of his highlight videos on rivals.com, but what scares me is this me-first attitude of his by choosing europe over college. they say he wasn't even going to qualify for arizona though. from what i've read, he's struggled with his shot quite a bit overseas and isn't really even looking to pass. there just aren't many recruits at all from the 2008 high school class that excite me. 2008 really has nothing compared to 2006 and 2007.

stephen curry is arguably the most enjoyable player to watch in all of basketball. he's just too short, too small, not quick enough, not athletic enough, and lacks the handles to play at a high level in the nba imo.

Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

Even last year, I really wanted Danny Green (would have drafted Bayless, Arthur, and Green with the Shawne Williams 2nd rounder we should have gotten a long time ago) out of UNC. He shot his face off in Maui and seems to be on most scouts' mind. Keep in mind that it's still really early. Griffin looks outstanding; the guy's averaging like 19 BOARDS a game right now. Curry's a G but he's staying to graduate; not worth thinking about right now. Jennings is interesting because there's the chance he gets slept on (and he will) because he's overseas.

I think the more interesting thing to see is whether Larry will try to fit the team's needs as he perceives them around draft time or draft on talent (which is conventional wisdom as we all know). A lot of this will depend on our final record, player development, Dunleavy, whether TJ has been injured, and our expiring contract situation. Will we be happy with TJ and HIbbert as the respective PG and C of the future (as several posters have dubbed them) or will some other opportunities present themselves? Still a lot of college season to go.

Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

Gilbert Arenas is on to something. We need to tank the season to get a game-changing player, or otherwise be subjected to year after year of mediocre teams and the 11th pick in the draft.

most on here think i share his opinion, but again, this draft will not be very deep at all. the ONLY way we could be in position for a game changing player this year, is with a top 3-5 pick. i highly doubt we'll be that lucky.

Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

The draft this year looks pretty bad. However even in most bad drafts there is a game changing player available after the 5th or so pick, it's just upt to LB and Moray to be the lucky guys that can actually find this player.

If DG gets any better he may have a chance at being a legit first option in this league, but at this point he does still need help in regards to his own development and having a better option to go to around the basket.

We are hopefully set at SG and SF for awhile. Looking at Rush's numbers in his first month of the league it looks like he will have the ability to be at least an average NBA starter. I really hope we go PF, maybe C, or maybe PG. If we draft another SF I'll cringe.

Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

I'm not sold that we're set on our wings as Dunleavy's knee issue is unresolved and Daniels' gone after this season, I believe, so that leaves Rush and Granger. I could see a wing player taken if we don't like any other options and the player can create their own shot, similar to Daniels.

PFs that might be available later in the draft that I would like include Patrick Patterson and Josh Heytvelt and Jordan Hill, all of whom have the athleticism, strength, and size to make it in the NBA.

Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

I'm not sold that we're set on our wings as Dunleavy's knee issue is unresolved and Daniels' gone after this season, I believe, so that leaves Rush and Granger. I could see a wing player taken if we don't like any other options and the player can create their own shot, similar to Daniels.

I'm not sold on Dunleavy right now either due to his injury issues. I guess it depends where we draft. If we have an early pick obviously I want a starter level PF, but if we're drafting something like 15th then it might be more pragmatic to take a guy that we hope can develop into a good 6th man.

Re: Official 2009 NBA Draft Recruiting Center

chill out bud, he said FOR griffin. I don't know where you got your statement from.

Its actually impossible to do that, I got it directly from his mouth. He wants to trade any one of our players and two first round picks by the end of the trading deadline this winter, IE, the CHANCE of landing Griffin!!! You chill out BUD!

Its actually impossible to do that, I got it directly from his mouth. He wants to trade any one of our players and two first round picks by the end of the trading deadline this winter, IE, the CHANCE of landing Griffin!!! You chill out BUD!

One is a probability, one is straight up. We will not trade anything for the number 1 overall pick straight up, IE he is saying he would trade any of our players and 2 first round picks for the CHANCE of getting Griffin. End of argument, I am not taking anything out of context, I am just putting his statement into the context of what actually could or would go down with his "idea." Zip it BUD.